Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-16

But they did not go on for some time
and we were obliged to await their move
ments. In backing they had gone far
enough, not only to give us room on the
side track, but Also as their train was
long one, to completely block the far end
of it, and we could net proceed on the
main track until they should pull ahead.
Before doing this they naturally wanted
some explanation. The lateness of the
regular train; our having Fulipr's engine,
without him or any of his men; and not
least, the manner in which we had
swooped down upon them like some beast
of prey, coming without any signal man
ahead at time when under railroad rules
they were entitled to the road--all this.
which only some most urgent occasion or
public calamity could excuse, sailed for
explanation Andrews calmly told his
story. ard the urgent need of ammunition
was felt to Justify everything; and all the
questions were asked and answered that
are common among railroad men on meet
ing Yet Andrews would have talked
little and would have made very short
stop, had it not been for the manner in
which the passenger tram pound In nj,
own. We had good right to be uneasy
here, for we had not cut the wires between
this station and Adairsville because we
had not dared, in the terrible urgency OF
reaching Calhoun, to delay even for this
purpose. A question might come on the
wires at any moment which Andrews,
with all his adroitness, would not find il
easy to answer. Neither had we put any
distractions on the track This latter
omission prepared the way for another
race against time, only less swift and fear.
full than our own.
Thus we were again delayed. Andrews
tried gentle and indirect means to per.
suadc the conductor of the passenger train
that it was perfectly safe for him to run
down and set to Adairsville before Full
| ler's passenger train. But he was not
easily persuaded The bare escape from
collision with our train had shaken his
nerves too much for him to wish at once
to repeat the experience, Neither did he
seem at all in II hurry to move his train
ahead and let us out on the main track:
but us his train was the only obstacle, it
would not have been long, had he contin-
ued obstinate, until the reserve force of
our party would have been brought into
requisition 1t may be said here that An
drews was perfectly sincere in telling him
that there would be abundant time for
| him to reach Adairsville before Fuller
with his train would be along. We did
| not think that Fuller would he along
that day, and with his own train he was
not. BUT as matters were, II the Calhoun
man had allowed himself to be persuaded
to start southwark fearful collision
would have ended all possibilities OF pur-
/ SUIT, and lc1t us Tree to burn bridges at
our leisure. Here was another of the mar
row escapes made 10y the enemy, To un-
derstand TINS it is necessary to recur tC
Fuller ana Murphy who were within two
or three minutes of Kingston when we
/ left that place.
They were terribly disappointed wher
! they found themselves stopped quite &
long distance below Kingston by three
! heavy freight trains, and learned in
| brief conversation with the engineer OF